


and some things you just can't speak about

by MaddieandChimney



Series: Women of 911 Week [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, Mentions of Death, and a landslide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27915544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: Women of 911 Week – Day Three: “Don’t leave, please.” + Comfort.Maddie knows that May is going to be an amazing dispatcher someday.
Relationships: Maddie Buckley & May Grant
Series: Women of 911 Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044111
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	and some things you just can't speak about

Maddie is wary as she takes a step into the women’s toilets at dispatch, biting down on her lip when she sees the very person she’s looking for. She knows May, and she suspects that over the course of the next year whilst the young girl takes a gap year, she’ll get to know her better. And as much as she knows her, she doesn’t _know_ how to comfort her.

Half of her wanted to text Athena to ask her, whilst the other half reminded her that she was meant to be a mentor now, just as Josh had been to her and these moments of perceived weakness were her responsibility. Maddie’s hand moves to her stomach, a small smile on her lips as she does – she’s going to have a daughter of her own to comfort one day.

“Are you okay?” It’s a stupid question, one she regrets the second it falls from her lips because of course the eighteen-year-old is not okay. She’s heard more death and sadness on the end of the phone today than she ever has in her life and it’s not been the easiest day to take the training wheels off but as much as Maddie wanted to be there for her every single step of the way because she was only a few weeks into the job, she had her own calls. Her own problems. Her own concerns for her brother and the father of her child who were out there in the thick of it all. But she knows that May feels that too, Athena hadn’t been back at work for long, and Bobby means a lot to her, too. They were both worried about the 118, and the people they spoke to, and the people they never would, all day.

It’s a lot. And makes the earthquake on her first shift seem slightly insignificant. The landslide had caused more devastation than Maddie would ever care to say out loud. But she had been doing the job long enough and had the experience of being a nurse beforehand to know that she can compartmentalise everything that had happened a lot easier than May can. It comes with experience and time, so much time. And whilst Maddie had felt the impact of the day weighing heavy on her shoulder, the second she had heard Chimney’s voice and then her brother’s voice telling her that they were okay, exhausted but okay, it was easier to let the day go.

May doesn’t answer but her grip on the edge of the sink tightens and Maddie can see the tell tale drops of tears falling onto the surface as she keeps her head down. She wonders if she should reach out to touch her, deciding on stepping forward instead as she nods her head, “Today was hard and I know there were moments that Josh and I were tough on you but you did a good job, May. A really good job. And it’s okay to cry and to be upset by everything today but you helped a lot of people today and I’m really proud of you.” She’s not sure if she’s helping at all and Maddie can’t help but wonder if May is going to walk out of the building tonight and never come back and really, she couldn’t blame her. She’s eighteen, she could be in college, worrying about parties and grades and not whether the person on the other end of the phone is going to get help in time or if she’s going to listen to them dying.

It’s with a gentle squeeze of May’s elbow that she backs off, not wanting to push her too far, wary of saying the wrong thing and hopeful that May will go home and talk to her mom about this. “Don’t leave, please.” The silence on the other end is broken by a desperate whisper before she looks up at her with the kind of look in her eyes that lets Maddie know exactly what she needs right then.

“Of course,” Chimney is waiting for her at home and Maddie knows that no matter how much he needs to eat and sleep, he won’t until she’s there but he’ll understand. “it’s okay. I’m here as long as you need, okay?” It’s with a small smile that Maddie brushes May’s hair from her face, wrapping her arms around her a second later, taking a breath when the movement is returned and arms wrap delicately around her waist. “You did an amazing job today, May, don’t forget that.”

“Thank you.” Her head buries into Maddie’s hair, the grip on her shirt tightening when she feels the tears soaking the material on her shoulder, rubbing May’s back as she does, whispering any words of comfort she can think of right then until May is the first to pull back. There’s a determination in her eyes and a fire that definitely hasn’t been tamed by the long day when she’s looking at her, and Maddie knows that whether it’s for a year or whether this is something May decides she wants to do for the rest of her life, she has some more competition for dispatcher of the month.


End file.
